Efficient increase in production through expansion of an OSB double-deck dryer
SWISS KRONO, Poland
Sector: Timber industry
Challenge: The challenge was to expand the existing drying technology in order to achieve the desired production capacity and to implement the waste heat from the resin plant as a heat supply.
Solution: Creating a belt dryer as an extension to a double-deck dryer with integrated recirculating air duct
Dryer used: belt dryer type BT 2-6200-39
Product to be dried: OSB chips
Challenge
SWISS KRONO a leader in wood-based materials, faced a challenge at their Zary facility in Poland. The bottleneck in their OSB production line was the existing dryer, which struggled to meet the demanding task of drying OSB strands from 50% to 2% moisture content (mc). This bottleneck significantly limited production capacity and hindered overall efficiency.
Fortunately, SWISS KRONO's highly integrated facility offered a unique opportunity: access to readily available waste heat from the resin plant. This waste heat, typically unused, presented a potential solution for powering a new drying system, improving energy efficiency, and reducing operating costs.
Solution
To address the bottleneck and capitalize on the waste heat opportunity, Swiss Krono implemented an innovative approach: a STELA dryer BTU production capacity system installed in addition to the existing dryer, creating a double-stack configuration.
Specifics of the STELA dryer solution:
- Heat Source: Utilizes waste heat from the resin plant, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering operating costs.
- Pre-drying: Pre-dries strands before they enter the original dryer at a lower incoming moisture content, increasing the efficiency of the overall drying process
- Increased Capacity: Adds approximately 13 tons of water evaporation capacity, significantly improving the production capacity of the drying process
Conclusion and outlook
The introduction of double-deck drying technology has brought considerable benefits for SWISS KRONO, which are visible in various areas. One significant advantage is the higher efficiency of the system. The system reduces the specific power consumption to less than 30 kWh per tonne of water. This leads to a remarkable reduction in operating costs. The stela belt dryer also reduces heat consumption to less than 1.05 MWh per tonne of water. This significantly improves energy efficiency.
In addition to increasing efficiency, the system significantly boosts production. It significantly increases the drying capacity. Thanks to this increased capacity, SWISS KRONO has been able to noticeably increase its OSB production output.
Downloads
Find out more about the belt drying system type BT:
Get in contact
Contact person
Low temperature, continuous dryer, circulating dryer – not sure what’s the best choice for you? Our experienced colleagues will be happy to help you find the best solution for your product. Please feel free to contact us without obligation.
Telephone +49 8724 899-10
Email sales[at]stela.de
